


Freedom - A Nick O'Flaherty Story

by sauciemel



Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-20
Updated: 2014-11-20
Packaged: 2018-02-26 09:50:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2647532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sauciemel/pseuds/sauciemel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick is 17 and protects Irish Mob boss Paddy, but one day he gets some papers that change his life and put him on a path to great things and people</p>
            </blockquote>





	Freedom - A Nick O'Flaherty Story

**Author's Note:**

> Contains scene of physical abuse on a teenager, nothing too explicit.  
> Characters belong to Abigail Roux.

Nick looked down at the papers in his hand. He had been waiting for these for weeks now. Looking around his bedroom, Nick didn’t really have much to show that he was 17 years old and had lived here that long. Glancing to the closet that was built into the wall of his bedroom Nick walked over, pulled the door open, and looked at the sea-bag he had packed months ago.

Folding the papers up and slipping them into the back pocket of his jeans. Nick closed the door too, moving across his bedroom to the door that would lead him to the biggest change of his short life. Gripping the handle in his hand, he pushed it down and stepped out.

The first thing Nick heard was laughing from the room just a little further down than his. Shutting the door to his bedroom Nick walked down the hallway then started down the stairs. The sound of the radio coming from the kitchen was the first thing he heard when he hit the last stair. “Mom?” Nick called out.

Nick’s mom stepped out from around the door. “What is it Nick?”

“I have to head out for a little bit, I may be late for the start of dinner but I will be back in time for…” Nick knew he didn’t even need to finish that sentence.

“I will make sure to keep yours warm for you.” Nick’s mom nodded and headed back into the kitchen.

Nick grabbed his jacket from the hook on the wall, then picked up the house phone and dialled his friend. “Hey Mikey I need a pick up.”

“Sure man, meet you on the corner.”

“Thanks.” Nick hung the phone up and then placed his hand on his back pocket as he pulled the front door open.

-

Nick didn’t have long to wait for Mikey to show up in his beat up old tin can. “Hey man thanks for this.”

“So what are we doing today? I thought Paddy gave you today free?”

“He did but something has come up and I need to go see him, you know where he is?”

“Sure where he always is.” Mikey revved the car and then turned the music up as he set off for their boss’s home. “You’re not in trouble are you?”

Nick shook his head and then realised that Mikey wouldn’t have seen it. “No I am not in any trouble I just need to go over something with Paddy.”

“Nicky man you know if you…”

Nick placed his hand on Mikey’s shoulder. “I know.”

-

It was a short trip as they pulled up at the gate where one of Paddy’s guys stood. “Hey there man…Nicky’s here to see the bossman.”

The big assed bald guy looked at the two men, or boys before him.

“Look asshole let me in to see the boss.” Nick leant over to bark at the guy.

“The boss is busy.”

“It’s 3 pm he isn’t busy no more, look call up the main house and tell him Nicky is here.”

The big guy snapped his fingers to a guy behind the gate and then held his hand out. The dude thrust a walkie-talkie into his hand. “Mac, Mac you there?”

“Yeah what you wanting man?”

“Got Nicky here demanding to see Paddy.”

“Let him up.” Came a booming Irish voice over the walkie.

“You have your answer.” Mac’s voice said and then the big guy pushed the walkie back to the guy. 

“Open up.” 

-

Once they had cleared the gates, Mikey started going on about how one day he was going to take that dick down, kick his ass, and take his place.

“Is that all you want to do…work for Paddy?”

“Yeah, I mean why the fuck wouldn’t I? It’s given me more than society ever has.” Mikey shut the engine off as he pulled up at the house.

“Hang here Mikey I won’t be that long and I want to know I have a getaway car at the ready.”

Mikey frowned at Nicky. “This don’t sound good man.”

“It’s all good.” Nick placed his hand on the door and got out the car. The sound of gravel crunching beneath his feet was all he could hear as he walked up the stairs to Paddy’s mansion was a better description than house. The door opened and Mac appeared.

“You know the drill Nicky.”

Nick hated being called Nicky and after today, he hoped to never hear it again. Stepping into the house Nick walked into the centre of the room and stood with is arms out and at shoulder, height and his legs spread wide as he waited to be frisked.

Mac walked over and patted down Nicky. “Kitchen.” Was all the guy said as he walked away.

Nick pulled his jacket on properly and then headed for the kitchen.

“So, you ask for two days off a week. The same days each week and here you are stood in my kitchen. What is wrong Nicky?” Paddy looked up from the papers spread out on the table.

“Can I sit?”

“Always, I have told you before Nicky this house is a home to you also.”

Nick pulled the wicker dining table chair out and sat down in it. “You remember I mentioned about enlisting?”

“The Marines if I recall.” Paddy poured out his sweet tea.

“Yeah…”

“Show me.” Paddy sipped his tea and then set it down.

Nick should have known that Paddy would have known right off. So he reached into his back pocket and pulled his papers out.

“So you’ve been accepted into basic training.” Paddy scanned over the letter.

“Yeah and I leave in a week. I need to ask you something.” Nick licked his lips even though his mouth felt dry.

Paddy looked up from the papers at the teenager before him that was more of a man than he was, but way too soon. Paddy knew all about Nicky’s home life. “What do you want to ask me?” Paddy enquired as he pushed his cup towards him.

Nick reached out and took the cup and he took a sip and set it down pushing it back towards Paddy. “I need you to watch over my sisters still while I am away.”

Paddy reached up, scratched his face, and then reached for his smokes, pulling one out and then tossed the packet over to Nicky who took one and pulling a lighter from his pocket and lit Paddy’s smoke first and then his. “So you are asking for a favour?”

Nick took a long drag from his cigarette. “Yeah.”

Paddy placed his smoke in the ashtray. There weren’t many people in his lifestyle who asked him for favours. But over the past year and a bit Nicky had earned himself not two favours of Paddy just by doing what he had promised to do the day they had met. “You don’t need to use one of your favours up on that Nicky. You have kept your promise that you made to me. I know that as long as you continue to breathe you will continue to protect me. So as long as you breathe I will protect them. So you still have your two favours.” Paddy watched as the young man smoked.

“Thank you Paddy.”

“I also know that you have never broken a promise to me or anyone you have made them to since we met that afternoon.”

“I come from a home of fucking broken promises, so I decided that I would be the first O’Flaherty to keep them.” Nick took another draw and then stubbed the cigarette out.

“That is how I trust you and I hope that you trust me enough to keep mine.” Paddy reached over to pick up something hidden beneath the papers.

“I do, you have never given me any doubt to not trust you.”

Paddy tossed the envelope he had just picked up across to Nicky.

Nick looked down at the envelope as it landed. It had his name written in black ink on it. “What is this?”

Paddy stood up and walked to look out over his back garden. “Nicky I knew this day was coming the moment you mentioned wanting to join the Marines. I had hoped that one day this would all be yours.”

Nick gasped at those words. He knew that he looked a lot like Paddy junior that had been one of the first things Paddy had said to him. But to hear that he wanted him to run the fucking Irish Mob in Boston fuck.

Paddy turned to see the colour had faded from Nicky’s face, and that was a hard thing to do with is complexion. “Stunned you there?”

“I...I mean you have others that could…”

“I don’t trust half of those fuckers. I trust you.”

“I don’t know Paddy, that’s an awful big thing for you to offer me and it’s not that I’m not grateful I am I just…”

Paddy walked over and placed his hand on Nicky’s shoulder. “How about this, you go do your training and whatever else, but when you’re done or come out you make your choice whether to come back and be my right hand man so I can train you and guide you into taking over. If you say no you can go on your way. You have my word on this.”

Nick swallowed hard again. This was epic what was being lay at his feet, but he wasn’t dumb enough to not consider it and since Paddy was giving him a way out as well, he knew to grab on and take it. “I promise Paddy, I will think over what you are offering.”

“Open the envelope.”

Nick picked it up and then tore it open. Inside was a lot of bills and he looked up at Paddy. “What’s this?”

“I know for a fact that the money I give goes on replacing shit at home, you never ask for help so I am giving it. There is enough there to pay for your flight out to Parris Island and buy some new threads.”

“Paddy…this is…”

“The least you deserve, I will also be driving you to the airport.” Paddy held his hand up to stop Nicky before he spoke. “That way you want have to have that asshole bemoan that he had to take time off to drive you. I will make sure to have your home watched, your sisters and your mom will be safe I swear to you.”

“Thank you.” Nick said, as he didn’t have any other words.

“Don’t mention it. Now go. I shall see you in a week. I will pick you up from home.” Paddy moved away from Nicky and sat back down. 

Nick knew that was a dismissal so he stood up and was in the middle of pushing the chair back in when Paddy spoke.

“Oh Nicky.”

“Yeah?”

“Next time fucking call so I don’t have to deal with monkey boy at the fucking gate.”

Nick chuckled as he nodded and then walked away,

~*~

It was 4 days before he was due to leave for the marines when he sat his sisters, well Erin, Kat and his mom down to break the news. Alana and Nessa were there too but were still too young to understand.

“What’s wrong Nick?” Erin asked softly.

“I need to tell you this now, before I have to speak to dad.”

“Son…”

“Mom please…just wait till I have said it” Nick looked at three nodding heads. “I filled in the forms to join the marines…and then did the entrance exam.”

“Wait what?” 

“Mom…” Nick rolled his eyes. “…they have accepted me and I leave in 4 days.”

“4 DAYS!!!! You drop this huge bombshell on us and tell us you’re leaving?” 

Nick knew his mother would react this way. What pained him is that it wasn’t for the fact that she was going to miss him no…she would miss the fact that he took the brunt of the bruises and broken bones instead of her. “Mom, you will all still be safe I promise.”

“You can’t promise that Nick, you won’t be here.”

“No, but I have someone who will protect you all and has been protecting you. All those times I went away with school playing football, why do you think dad never came home drunk then?” Nick looked at the blank look on their faces.

“Paddy.” Kat was the one who broke the silence that had fallen.

Nick nodded. “He always made sure someone followed dad and made sure he had that one extra drink and would let him sleep it off in one of his places, dad was too drunk to remember how he got there and would just get up and leave. I think he knows deep down, that’s why when I am home it’s like it is. So you will still be safe.”

“I don’t…I can’t let you do this.”

“Mom this is my life you can’t stop me. I am going and that’s it.”

“I for one think it’s cool that my baby brother is going to be a kick ass Marine.” Kat smiled as she reached out and took his hand.

After a few moments, his mother had agreed. She would worry about him of course but she knew her only boy would handle it. The alarm clock shrilled into life and that is when they all knew that happy time was over. His dad was on his way home. “Kat Erin grab the girls.” Nick said as he was up and heading for his room. His mom was opening the oven door to get Brian’s dinner out. Then grabbing his glass and the bottle from the side, she placed them all on the table.

As his mother did this Nick grabbed what he needed and followed the girls down the stairs, he had already made sure the small fridge had drinks in for them, there were snacks too. “Ok you remember don’t come up. I made the camp beds up for you guys.”

“Nick.” Erin’s sad eyes fell on him.

“Erin…I have to do this tonight. It will be fine.” Nick patted her cheek and headed for the stairs and placing the bats and other items on the stairs. He was just glad that they had a toilet down in the basement. That he had paid for.

Walking into the kitchen Nick sat down and smiled at his mom as she gave him a plate of food. “Love you son.”

“Love you too.” Nick answered as they heard the slam of a car door. “Go.”

Nick’s mom almost stayed but she couldn’t stay.

Nick started to eat the homemade steak pie and potatoes him mom had made, but it could have been a plate full of shit to him right now. His stomach was churning so badly, at what he was about to do, and what he would no doubt go through as he told his dad he was leaving to join the marines.

The front door opened and he listened to the sounds of his dads footsteps. To deem how drunk he was, they were pretty even so that meant he wasn’t totally wasted…yet.

Brian walked into the kitchen to see his son at the table. “You not working?”

“No dad.” Nick spoke clearly, as he watched his dad move to the seat and sit down. The first thing he did was pour a whiskey.

“So why the fuck you sat here?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“Oh god have you gone and knocked a girl up?”

‘As if that’s going to happen.’ Nick thought to himself. Trust his dad to think that Nick had gotten someone pregnant. “No dad it’s not that.”

“Then it’s not important is it.” Brian downed the glass of whiskey and filled the glass up.

“It is…” Nick tried to get across to his dad.

“I have been working all fucking day, I want to come home to a quiet house, my dinner and some me time and what do I get.” Brian knocked the glass back.

‘Great.’ Nick thought and he knew what was coming.

“My pain in the ass lay about offspring jabbering at me about nothing.” 

Nick watched as his dad stood and knew the blow was coming. “I have joined the marines.” He blurted out.

Brian stood looking at his son. “What?” he snorted.

Nick glared at his dad. “You heard me.”

“The marines? They really let your sorry ass enlist?”

“Yeah and I leave in 4 days.” Nick stood now, to show his dad he wasn’t scared of him.

“Coward.”

That wasn’t what he had been expecting out of his father’s mouth.

“You are running away from your responsibilities here that is a coward. You won’t last a week. I mean look at you.” Brian was laughing so hard now.

“I would last longer than your drunken ass.” Nick screamed at him. Oh, that was so the wrong thing to say as his dad upturned the table, and grabbed Nick and shoved his back towards the counter; well slammed him into it is a better word. All that left his mouth was a silent ‘Oomph.’

“You are a fucking waste of space that should never have fucking existed. You won’t be going to no damn Marines.”

Nick was then shoved to the floor and before he had the chance to defend himself he felt the blow to his ribs from his dad’s boot.

It didn’t take that many kicks until the first crack was heard. But when his rib cracked something inside Nick did too. He reared up, blocked out the pain, and went for his dad. Sure, he may not be as tall as his dad yet but he had learnt to fight dirty. What no one had seen when he had come back up from the basement was him place his wooden baseball bat by the drawers and he somehow managed to get to it and he turned and swung out at his dad. “Back the fuck off. You back away now or so help me god I will end you.”

The bat connected with Brian’s ribs and he felt it. “You ungrateful…”

“Me? You are the ungrateful one, you have a loving fucking family here, and some people don’t get to have that. But you…you just drink yourself into oblivion, and in between you beat the fuck out of me, or mom. But that stops now.” Nick raised the bat again and landed it on his dads shoulder. “I am joining the marines to make something of my life. So I don’t turn into you. You are pathetic.”

Brian held his shoulder.

“I am going to tell you this once, and once only. When I am away, I hear of you laying one had on anyone in this house and I promise you, I will put a bullet in your head.” Nick’s voice had dropped so low and cold.

Brian looked at his son and just nodded. “I would never hurt the girls.”

“You hurt mom often enough and me.” Nick glared.

Brian picked the chair up and sat down in it as he looked at the mess of the kitchen. “Fuck this; I don’t need this from you. This house will be fine without you.”

“And I will be fine without you, but know this…” Nick walked a little closer. “…you won’t see another day alive if you touch them.”

Brian saw the look in his son’s eyes. “I get the fucking picture Nicholas.”

Nick stepped back. “Good. Now fuck off.”

“What?”

“You heard me go do what you do best and get drunk and pass out somewhere.” Nick shoved his hand into his pocket and then drew out some bills and tossed them at his dad. “That should cover you.” He dropped the bat to the floor knowing that his sisters and mom would be safe tonight and the next night. It wasn’t until he heard the front door close that he fell to his knees and the pain hit him.

-

**4 days later…**

Nick stood at his front door hugging Kat, it hurt but he didn’t care.

“You stay safe out there.” Kat said into his chest.

“You stay safe out here.”

“You know we will be fine Nick.” Erin smiled at him.

His mom was a blubbering mess crying.

“Look after her; she isn’t as strong as she looks.” Nick whispered to them both as Alana and Nessa got cuddles next.

Then came the honk of a horn. “There’s my ride.”

“You call the moment you get settled.” His mom hugged him.

“Mom.” Nick teased as he hugged her back. “I will.”

“Go.” His mom ushered him. 

Nick’s dad hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye and he didn’t care. “You know the plan if shit goes down.”

Erin and Kat nodded as they walked him down to the car.

“Yo Nicky.”

Nick turned to see Mikey running towards him, then into him and he grunted and winced.

“Fuck sorry, I just wanted to see you off.”

“Thanks Mikey.” Nick hugged him as Paddy got out the car and took his bags. 

“Time to hit the road son.”

Nick nodded and with the last of the farewells, he got into the passenger seat. Buckled in.

Paddy put the car into motion and glanced across at Nicky.

Nick was looking out the window, looking on his past and then he turned his head to look at Paddy. Nick smiled, as he was free, sure it may only be until he has done basic training but he is free from it all. The sad home, abusive dad and free from the ties to the mob.

Nick had freedom

**The End**


End file.
